


Heroes Don't Die

by TQ121



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 01:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7131989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TQ121/pseuds/TQ121
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Handsome Jack refuses to stay dead, and Vaughn will always fight for his friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heroes Don't Die

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that has been running around in my head since the last episode of tales from the borderlands was released, and I wanted to write something that wasn't smut for a change.

Fighting was never like it was in the movies. This was due in part because no one had script immunity so they never had time to pull off sick moves. Instead they had spit second decisions, and the ever present fear of death making those decisions.

Fear of course was infamously bad at making decisions. Vaughn though had a natural level headedness, once useful in the corrupt world of backstabbing back on Helios and now honed for battle in the time spent exiled on Pandora. More importantly he had a purpose leading him, and this purpose would fail if he died. So Vaughn pushed forward past the gates of New Opportunity, shouting commands over bullet fire.

The operation was nothing like the one the vault hunters had done years back at the original city of Opportunity. They had been a small force made of legends. Vaughn’s force was made up of normal people tired of the ever oppressive force of Hyperion destroying their homes and lives. Many were going to die that day.

 

 

Rhys struggled trying to break free from the golden throne he was strapped to. "Jack, please, this isn't funny."

Handsome Jack looked down at Rhys with cold calculation, completely different from moments before when he had been celebrating with Rhys. Then as if Jack was an actor who remembered the camera was still rolling he smiled. "Rhysie, you know how I said heroes don't die?"

Rhys' gaze hopped from monitor to monitor unsure of which Jack to watch. "Umm, yeah, I just thought you were upset because, you know."

Jack barely seemed to listen to Rhys' answer, and plowed on through. "Well you see I was wrong. Heroes die all the time, they have to. You're not a hero if you don't face death, Rhys." The multiple images of Jack glanced away for a moment. "A hero has to face death and defeat it."

The projection's shoulders fell. "That’s where I failed. I couldn't defeat death, and it came and took me."

Not understanding why he was being told something that felt so personal Rhys' frown softened, and concern crossed his face. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Don't be. It was my own damn fault." Jack smiled sadly. "But you did teach me one thing. A hero doesn't have to fight alone."

 

 

Vaughn fired his Maliwan SMG at the line of loader bots that had been patrolling the square. The bullets exploded into green goo on contact, and the metal casing on the loader bots melted. Around them were murals depicted the exploits of Handsome Jack and Hyperion.

A loud whistling buzzed in the air, and with a series of crashes more loader bots appeared in the smoke. The gun fire from Vaughn's men was deafening, but he could still hear the moment his shield fell.

Ducking behind a mural he glanced at his shield. "Come on." He whispered urging it to charge back up.

Looking up in front of him his heart stopped, and the world around him seemed to freeze. There was a propaganda mural he had never seen before. Painted on the mural was Rhys with his arms wide in religious ecstasy looking to a blue ghost like visage of Handsome Jack.

"Sir, are you okay?" One of the men asked as the gun fire calmed down.

Vaughn could have slapped himself. It wasn't the time for freak out. It was more important than ever to not freak out.

He nodded, and checked his shield again. “We need to push on. The longer we are stalled the more reinforcements will come."

Several men and women grunted in agreement.

 

 

"Sooo, that doesn’t tell me why I'm strapped to your chair, this isn't some weird sex game, is it?" Rhys laughed nervously and shifted in his seat.

Jack laughed openly at Rhys. "Oh no, I'm not interested in that. I mean that’s what the restraints are for; my girlfriend was all sorts of freaky in the best ways. But I don't want that with you."

Feeling insulted Rhys pouted even though he was sure he shouldn't.

"Don't be like that" Jack insisted. "Just because I'm not into dudes doesn't mean I don't have something special planned for you. In fact when people find out they are going to be super jealous."

"Then why am I bound to the chair?" Rhys didn't like this. Jack was acting weirder than usual, and Rhys was beginning to think he had made the wrong choice.

"Because you're a coward," Jack said mater of factly, "and what I'm asking of you is a little scary, aaaand I don't want you to mess up a great opportunity for the both of us."

"Wait, is calling me a coward supposed to help convince me that this is okay?" Rhys asked tugging at the bindings again.  All he was doing was chafing his writs and scratching up his cybernetic arm.

"Come on don't be ashamed, I mean if you are gonna let cowardness get in the way it’s annoying as hell, and sure I might have to kill you for it, but let’s be real not everyone can be a hero like me." Slowly Jack's smile grew wider and more unsettling. "So I'll forgive you. After all you are going to help me in a way no one else can."

Rhys gritted his teeth as he yanked his left hand back hard enough to rip skin. Shaking and wide eyed he felt the warm trickle of blood flowing down his arm. "How is that?"

"Oh Rhys, you are going to help bring me back to life."

 

 

The battle field smelt like copper and burnt pork, and Vaughn was sure he was going to go on a meatless diet for a while. He defiantly didn't want to ever see another HOT Loader again. Counting his men was quick, and yelled out commands breaking his fraction of the forces into groups.

He conducted them and had them surround one of the tallest buildings in the now burning city, and Vaughn leaned against the wall tapping his communicator. "Fiona, how are things at the docks?"

Static popped and buzzed before Fiona answered. "Not very good, it looks like a team of skilled gorillas came and set everything on fire."

Despite himself Vaughn cracked a smile. "Ha ha, I don't think this is the right time for this kind of humor."

"Sasha has been telling me that for years." There was a pause, and all Vaughn could hear was Fiona's muted voice. "Sorry about that. Do you have the tower?"

In the corner of his eye Vaughn caught some of his men signaling that they were in position. Nodding to them he answered Fiona. "We just have to storm the building. Is Sasha on her way yet?"

"She left a few minutes ago when we pretty much had everything secure." Fiona paused and then said with concern. "You know you can make this announcement anywhere, right?"

Closing his eyes Vaughn let out a long sigh. "I know, but destroying New Opportunity is part of the message."

Vaughn saw two more people signal him, and nodded to them as well. "We are in position. Finish up at the docks, and I'll meet you after Sasha and I have made the broadcast."

 

Rhys would never be sure if all the pieces fell into place or if it was the fog of denial lifting, but his mouth went dry as he remembered all the times Jack took over. From Jack controlling his arm to long enough punch him, to the time Jack took his body for a joy ride and slapped Sasha's butt, it was all clear now.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rhys shook his head, and his heart tried to hammer up his throat. "You're not going to do what I think you are suggesting are you?"

"Come on, Rhys." Jack purred. "You've always wanted to be me. Big bad Handsome Jack, feared and loved by all, with more money than you could spend in a million life times."

"I don't want it!" Rhys protested, "Not like this!" He shook so hard the chair rattled even as he saw the executive override jack curl towards him like a snake.

Wide eyed he looked up at Jack, who stared down unfeelingly.

The override struck forcing its way into Rhys. Frozen, tears trailed down his face as his mind slowly started blanking out until only fear and pain were left. Still there was a bead of something like worship and a little like hope, and from it Rhys begged. "Jack, please I don't want to die."

"Oh Rhys," The voice echoed in his head, "You're not dying. You are being reborn."

Rhys never spoke again.

 

 

Vaughn stopped in surprise as he rounded a corner of the third floor, his SMG held up ready to fire. Sasha was kneeling in front of a door with the electronic lock pulled apart with wires dangling in front of her.

"About time you showed up." She told him.

"Yes well, I didn't expect you to be here this early." Vaughn explained.

Looking around Vaughn asked. "There haven't been any guards in here. Do you think it's a trap?"

Sasha shook her head as she twisted two wires together. The door slid open smoothly. "This shouldn't be a high security area, and the civilians seemed to have evacuated."

Standing up she brushed off her legs. "We probably met all the security outside already."

Vaughn nodded. "That's what I thought, but I'm still new to all this."

"What no teenaged rebellion?" Sasha teased as she walked into the room and flipped switches on the switchboard.

"No, Rhys and I," Vaughn paused closing his eyes. "We were nerds. The worst I did was suggest I might work for Maliwan to piss off my dad."

Sasha raised her eyebrow incredulously.

"Look I know, but everything around was Hyperion," Vaughn shrugged, "With red, black, and yellow block coloring. The branding wasn't as bad as Helios, but it was close."

Sasha handed Vaughn a pair of head phones. "And here you are taking them down."

Clutching the head phones tightly Vaughn corrected. "No I'm taking down Handsome Jack. This is personal."

Sasha paused in the middle of slipping on her own set of bulky head phones, and gave Vaughn a somber nod. Sliding onto a stool she righted the head phones on her head, and flipped the switch on the microphone in front of her. Leaning in she called out. "Helloooooo Pandora!"

Outside from every random speaker in Opportunity her voice rang out, and radios across the continent boomed with Sasha's voice. "This is Hallow Point's own Rakk Attack, live from the smoldering ruins of Hyperion’s once majestic trash pile New Opportunity!"

"Today I'm going to introduce the leader of the attack, a man who will stop at nothing to bring down the big H in the sky, Vaaaaaughn."

 

 

Their voices filled the airwaves bringing attention to others on the planet. In the space station above a man’s rage shook a body too small for his ego as he demanded blood for his lost city.

The planet Pandora didn’t care, and it slowly spun in space.

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully the end isn't as pretentious as I'm afraid it is, but cutting it made everything feel too abrupt so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
